


Journey of Us

by FairyTaleAdventures



Category: The Good Doctor (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, So much domesticity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 18,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26165494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FairyTaleAdventures/pseuds/FairyTaleAdventures
Summary: This is literally just a fic of a couple having couple-y moments.Every chapter is a different random “scene” many of which have come from requests.Chapters are written and uploaded in no particular order and are between 300-1000 words in length.Updates will occur periodically.Happy reading :)
Relationships: Audrey Lim/Neil Melendez
Comments: 71
Kudos: 160





	1. Meeting Room Six

Audrey was standing in line at the hospital’s cafe intent on grabbing a large to-go cup of coffee when her phone chimed loudly, indicating she had received a text message. 

It was from Neil, asking her to meet him in Meeting Room Six as soon as possible. 

It was strange, Audrey thought. If he needed to talk to her, he simply would have come to her office. What was even stranger was the fact that he was asking her to meet him in Meeting Room Six. That room was in the opposite end of the hospital and rarely used due to its small size and lack of natural lighting 

But curiosity got the best of her and ditching her need for caffeine, she made her way to the requested location.

The hallway leading to the room was empty. There were no hospital patients kept in the wing, and hospital staff rarely had a need to visit. Besides a janitor’s closet and another small room that was once used as a lost and found, there was nothing of importance. 

Back in residency, Audrey had discovered the room by accident. She had gotten the room numbers mixed up while trying to find a particular office, but her innocent mistake had turned into a happy accident. When trying to focus on work, Audrey liked the peace and quiet. Due to the environment that was a hospital, quiet was hard to come by. No matter where you were, someone was bound to pop in to ask a question or disrupt your train of thought. To counter, she had begun to bring her work to the deserted meeting room. 

It became her thing. 

Her secret spot ended up being a secret for a whole six months. That was until Neil had followed her one time, curious as to where she kept disappearing to during random times of the day. After that, it quickly became their spot. 

Unfortunately for Audrey, Neil wasn’t too good at keeping secrets and soon, she no longer had a secret spot. 

Neil had apologised profusely, promising to find her a new location where she could complete work in peace, but it was a promise he wasn’t able to keep. 

Since then, all the people who had taken advantage of the room had moved on and Audrey had gotten her own office. 

The room went back to collecting dust.

Which is why she was confused as to why she was being summoned there now. 

Out of habit, she checked her surroundings before turning the knob and entering the dark room.

She’s not certain what she expected when she opened the door, but she definitely was not expecting to have two hands grab her waist and push her up against the door. Audrey didn’t have time to register what was going on before she felt a pair of lips on hers. She immediately recognised them as Neils. The gentleness overpowered by an irresistible desire was a dead giveaway. That, and she could taste the familiar flavour of coffee on his lips, bitter yet intoxicating.

When the initial shock wore off, she found herself responding to his every touch like static shock. She slid her hands up his chest until she grasped the lapels of his lab coat, coaxing him closer. Neil smiled against her lips, parting them slightly.

“I missed you today,” he confessed.

She moaned into his mouth. “You saw me four hours ago.”

“Four hours is a long time.”

Her response got lost in the back of her throat when he deepened the kiss. Audrey responded with equal enthusiasm and in seconds, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, she held his face between her hands, and their mouths fused together in searing passion. 

They stayed like that until a loud bang sounded from somewhere down the hall, causing Audrey to jump out of his embrace, cheeks flushed, putting a good four feet in between them. Neil groaned at the loss of contact, reaching for her once more, but she persisted. 

“We’ve almost been caught once today. Do you really want to be pushing our luck?” Her heart was beating frantically in her chest, so hard, in fact, that she worried the source of the noise would be able to hear her through the thick walls.

“Murphy?” Neil asked. “I guarantee he didn’t see anything. He would have blabbed about it by now.”

Audrey frowned. “You’re missing my point.”

“Hey,” Neil stepped into her space, bringing her hands in his. “We’re good.”

The smile on his face was intoxicating; she couldn’t help but allow herself to give in to her heart’s desires. 

This time when he kissed her, her bottom lip between both of his, it was soft. 

It still felt like a dream. They had spent so much time imagining this exact moment. Imagining what it would feel like, how the other would respond. Imagining feeling the soft caress of her hands against his face while he encircled her waist and held her as a lover would.

This wasn’t a dream however - not anymore. 

After so many years of wondering, the reminder that they could do this any time they wanted was overwhelming in the most wonderful of ways.

Neil pulled back first, nestling into her touch as she brought their foreheads together.

“Promise me no more secret meeting room meet ups,” Audrey whispered. 

“Is that a promise I have to keep?”

Neil didn’t miss her slight hesitation. “Yes.”

“Okay,” he caved. “No more secret meeting room meet ups. But all bets are off when we are home.”

“I think I can live with that.”


	2. Hypnotising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: this chapter mentions events from the season 2 two parter episode (episodes 10 & 11). Given our current global situation, I figured I'd give you all a heads up just incase.

It was Audrey's first week back at the hospital since the Christmas quarantine and she was loving it. She had been off for just over a month. Most of that time was spent getting treatment and participating in the required rehabilitation sessions, but the other days were spent wishing she were back at work. 

It wasn't so bad at first. After the events of the outbreak, Audrey found herself in a significant amount of pain and wanted nothing more than to lay in bed all day. While she hated to admit it, she was weak, and needed the rest to recover. 

Neil had kept her company. During the initial days, he requested she stay with him so he could keep an eye on her. It didn’t take much persuading. Audrey took one look at his concerned eyes and couldn’t help but cave. She was doing it for the sake of her health; at least that’s what she convinced herself. In reality, she enjoyed Neil taking care of her and more importantly, she enjoyed his company. 

Neil had asked for some personal time off. He obviously couldn’t disclose the exact reason, so instead, he bent the truth and told Andrews the stress of the quarantine had taken its toll and he needed a couple days to recoup after nearly losing a friend. Andrews didn’t question him, but he also couldn’t give Neil the time off. The Christmas season was a busy time and with one surgeon out for the foreseeable future, he needed him around. To compromise, he put Neil on call so he could spend the majority of his time as he pleased. 

During the first few days, he didn’t do much. Audrey slept throughout most of the day and then spent most of the night tossing and turning. He tried to help the best he could by bringing her tea and keeping her comfortable, but otherwise, he felt useless. Neil didn’t mind though. He was just thankful he could be around in case of an emergency. The fact that he got a constant reminder she was alive and breathing was just a bonus.

She didn't push her recovery; at least not at first. She listened to her doctors and did as they suggested. However, as the third week approached and Audrey was freely able to walk about without getting winded, she wanted nothing more to jump back into her regular routine.

It was Neil who had convinced her to take an extra week off. Despite her progress, he was aware that she wasn't as healed as she made herself out to seem. She was a surgeon. She went to medical school. She knew exactly what her doctors were going to look out for and made certain she would be able to pass their test. He had called her out on it, but he did it cautiously. 

When he brought up the topic, they were cuddled underneath a blanket on his couch. Audrey’s face buried in the soft cotton of his shirt, as he held her close to him, tracing random circles along her bare arm. It was late and Audrey was so mesmerised by the warmth of the fireplace (and a little drowsy from her medication), when she had agreed to take the extra time off, she momentarily forgot that Neil would no longer be around to keep her company.

And by the second day, she was bored out of her mind. 

By the third day, she found herself sneaking in one of the back doors to the hospital, making it all the way to her office without being seen. There wasn’t much for her to do, but the simple action of sitting at her desk in clothes other than leggings and a t-shirt was better than any medicine. 

Her secret didn't last long though as no more than an hour later Neil was standing at her office doorway, arms crossed.

He didn't scold her like she expected him to. Instead, he simply shook his head, a small smile playing against his lips. Audrey watched meticulously as he walked up next to her and placed his hand next to hers on the desk. He looked as if he were going to lean down to kiss her and despite her wanting nothing more, she momentarily felt a wave of panic. But he didn't. Instead, his fingers brushed over hers lightly and he said: "I'm leaving at four today. Can I offer you a ride home?" 

It didn’t really click for Audrey until that moment; she was lucky. 

Her work had always been such a big obstacle in previous relationships. She would either spend too much time at the office, or spend too much time engaged in paperwork while at home. Her partners were always annoyed. With Neil, it was different. He understood. He lived the life she lived. He knew what the life of a surgeon meant and never questioned her desire to work. 

It was the first time she felt like someone truly appreciated everything about her and the feeling was hypnotising.


	3. Cooking

“Welcome home” Audrey greeted as Neil stepped through the front door of their house. 

“Thank you.” He stopped in the entryway to hang up his coat before joining Audrey in the kitchen, enveloping her into his arms and planting a light kiss against her mouth. 

“It smells delicious in here,” Neil complimented. 

“I hope so,” Audrey replied. “I’m making dinner.” 

“You’re actually making dinner?” The amazement in his voice was obvious. “Like with ingredients from a grocery store?” 

“Not only that, but I’m making your mother’s recipe.” 

He stared at her in awe. It was rare that she made such an attempt at a romantic gesture. It was even more rare that she made an attempt at cooking.

Between the two of them, he was the chef in their relationship. On days they were unable to leave work at the same time, he often arrived home before her. As per their mutual agreement, he would always create a nutritious meal and wait for Audrey to arrive home so they could eat together.

It took Audrey a while to get used to eating real food. For years she survived off ready made meals and take out. On the rare occasion she would leave work before Neil, she would simply stop to get them dinner or make sure something had been ordered before he arrived home. When she did make dinner with the ingredients they kept in their kitchen, it typically consisted of boxed pasta or something from a can (in other words something that was impossible for her to screw up). 

It was never something that bothered Neil. Typically after a long work day, food was food, it didn’t matter to him where it came from. All he cared about was getting the chance to sit down together and have a nice conversation while they ate. 

“You didn’t have to do that for me.”

“I know, but I wanted to.” 

“Well I’m touched.” He kissed her once more. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now go freshen up. Dinner will be ready in ten.”

Neil felt grateful. He loved the moments when she made a grand gesture. It didn’t happen often - she was more adept at showing her love for him in little ways, but when she did, she went all out. It only made the surprises that much more special. 

Once changed into casual clothes, Neil made his way back to the kitchen where Audrey was placing a portion of the casserole dish onto two plates. 

“Well it definitely looks good,” he complimented as he took his seat. She situated herself next to him.

“Hopefully it tastes good too.” 

Neil stared down at the dish in front of him, braced himself, and then took a bite out of the meal.

“So?” Audrey asked hopefully. “How is it?”

Neil swallowed thickly. “Audrey,” his tone was airy. “I love you, but you are a terrible cook.”

She glowered. 

Adding a bit to her own fork, she tasted it, chewed twice, made a disgusted face, and then spit the contents into her napkin. 

Neil’s smile was compassionate. 

“I don’t understand,” said Audrey. “I followed your mom’s recipe to a tee.”

“I don’t know what you were following but it was definitely not my mom’s recipe.” Audrey frowned. “I’m sorry, my love.” Neil rubbed soothing circles against the small of her back. “You just didn’t get the cooking genes.” 

She huffed in response, grabbing both their plates and scraped the unappetising casserole into the garbage.

“What about I cook us up some of your favourite pasta?” Neil offered in an attempt to cheer her up. 

She sighed, nodding in defeat.

Twenty minutes later they had abandoned their seats at the dinner table, finding solace sitting side by side on the couch, enjoying the quick meal Neil had whipped up for them.

Audrey was thankful Neil had grown up with a mother who taught him how to cook. If it wasn’t for him, she’s certain she would be a few short years away from the beginnings of a heart disease. She was amazed by the effort he put into his cooking. It was like an art. One she was hopeful she would get the chance to learn in the near future, 

“Do you think your mom would teach me how to cook?” Audrey asked later that evening as they were busy washing dishes. 

Neil momentarily stumbled with the soapy plate in his hand before meeting her curious eyes and telling her honestly, “I think she would love that.”


	4. Photograph

“Morning Boss,” Neil greeted as he entered Audrey’s new office. She was busy with unpacking a box of items she had brought from her old office.

Audrey cringed. “Can you not call me that?”

“Why?” The grin on his face was teasing. “It’s true.”

“Yeah, but it’s weird.” Audrey peaked over his shoulder to check for anyone that may have wandered up to her door, then lowered her voice and bluntly stated, “we’re sleeping together.”

Neil shrugged nonchalantly.

Audrey didn’t have much to unpack. Besides a few novelty items and a couple pieces of artwork, her office was rather bare. In contrast to her home, she didn’t like clutter taking over her room. She was practical. Her office was her own personal space. The place she escaped to when things at work had become a bit overwhelming and she needed to be free from any distractions. Plus, she didn’t like having too many personal items around, especially when it was a common area for having meetings with other staff members. 

“I brought you an office warming present.” Neil pulled a picture frame from behind his back and handed it to her. It was a simple frame, with a red bow taped neatly to the top left-hand corner for decoration, but inside held a photo of the two of them taken many years ago. Audrey remembered the day clearly. It was one of the first surgeries they had performed together. Their patient was a young boy and the parents of the child were so thankful of his miraculous recovery, that they wanted to document the two doctors that helped heal their child. 

It was an ordinary photo of the two of them with their arms around each other, still in surgical scrubs wearing matching tired smiles. But it had been a good day, and the photo was a sincere reminder of why their job was so important. 

“Just be happy I chose a photo with you in it.” Neil remarked, as her finger grazed over the picture in admiration. “Initially, I was going to frame a photo of just myself.”

She knew him well enough to know he would never actually do that, but decided to humour him anyways. “Thank you for not doing that. I love my gift.” Audrey touched him forearm gently. “But I think I am going to keep it at home. At least for now.”

“I understand.”

. 

When the day came that she felt comfortable enough to show off their relationship, Neil had walked into her office and noticed the photograph displayed proudly on her desk.


	5. Shaun

Neil was sitting on the couch in his office reviewing an article in a medical journal on a new technique for heart valve repair. It was nearing seven and he hadn’t planned to be at the hospital so late, but Audrey had decided to wait with him while he finished, and had accidentally fallen asleep beside him.

He was in the middle of describing the technique to her, explaining how the process would decrease failure and reduce the chance of replacement, when he felt her head hit his shoulder. At first he was surprised. Audrey wasn’t one to show affection at work, but he welcomed the closeness. It wasn’t until he heard her breathing become even and felt her sink into him further that he realised she was asleep.

Despite knowing she would be annoyed he let her nap at work, Neil couldn’t bring himself to wake her. Over the past couple days, she had been running on limited sleep and an unhealthy amount of caffeine, her days packed with surgeries, consultations, and an unfortunate amount of meetings. That morning, she had requested he bring her a cup of the strongest coffee he could find on his way in - her second cup in less than two hours. If Neil hadn’t known Audrey like he did, he would have been seriously worried for her overall well-being. 

She was a professional at working efficiently for days on end with little to no sleep; they both were. After many years of unwanted practice, the skill built itself. Though fatigue came with noticeable consequences, and any minute of sleep they could get was considered a blessing. That’s why he continued to read his article in silence, the only light illuminating his paper coming from the dim lamp on his side table, allowing her to continue napping in peace.

No more than twenty minutes after Audrey had dozed off, his train of thought was disrupted by a soft tapping on his open office door. Neil looked up to find Shaun standing at the entrance, a stack of brown files in his hands.

He felt Audrey stir against him, but her eyes remained shut. Instinctively, Neil put a finger to his lips, shushing him, hoping he would comprehend the reasons behind the action.

“What can I do for you Dr. Murphy?” Neil whispered.

“I’m just dropping off these reports like you asked me to do,” Shaun answered in the same hushed tone.

“You can just put them on my desk. I’ll take a look at them in the morning.”

Shaun did as requested then turned to the couple on the couch. After a long pause, Neil noticed Shaun was unsure of how to approach the foreign situation. Walking in on his superiors in what some would describe as an intimate situation was not something he was equipped at handling. Realising this, Neil smiled warmly. “Thank you, Murphy. Have a good evening.”

Shaun nodded politely and made way for the door but before he exited, he turned back to Neil and said: “Dr. Melendez, you and Dr. Lim are an excellent match. I hope to find love similar to yours one day.”

Neil stumbled on his response, slightly taken back by the confession. “That’s very kind of you to say. Thank you, Shaun.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

Without another word, Shaun exited the room.

There was something that felt almost validating about Shaun’s compliment. He wasn’t the type to so openly express his thoughts, especially when it came to relationships, a topic he was rather unfamiliar with. Neil wanted to think he had made an impact on the young boy that made him feel confident enough to open up to him, but when he really considered the idea, he realised Audrey was most likely the cause. 

Nevertheless, Neil decided he would keep the conversation to himself. Not because he didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of fulfilment, but if he were to reveal Shaun’s comment to Audrey, she would ask what had brought the conversation up, and he was terrible at keeping secrets from her - she could always read right through him. And if Audrey were to find out he allowed a resident to witness her sleeping (on him nonetheless), he would never hear the end of it. 

For the meantime, he would simply continue to enjoy the quiet moment and keep the memory stored in the back of his mind.


	6. Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not explicit.

Audrey was startled from sleep as Neil shifted in the bed beside her, throwing one muscular arm around the small of her back and pulling her into him. 

It was no longer morning, Audrey realised as she noticed the sunlight streaming through the window, a perfect sliver of light hitting just above Neils eyebrow. She wasn’t surprised. They had gotten home so late last night, by the time they made it to the bedroom, they simply discarded their work clothes, absentmindedly pulling on whatever lounge wear was closest to them, before falling into bed, both fast asleep within minutes. 

As Audrey laid there in silence, her face inches from Neils, she realised that she had watched him sleep so many times before, but never quite this intimately. His usual cleanly shaven face was overcome by scruff, while his typical neatly-styled hair was sticking up every which way, making it look much longer than it really was. His mouth was hung open slightly as his breaths came out evenly with the rise and fall of his chest. 

He looked so peaceful.

However, despite Audrey’s best effort, the need to see his eyes light up with warmth overpowered the little voice in her head that was screaming at her to let him sleep. 

She leaned in and she kissed him, the barest touch of her lips against his.

He groaned dreamily in response and pulled her closer, causing her to shiver in his arms. 

“Feel free to wake me up like this every morning,” He said, his voice lazy and deep with sleep. 

“I hate to break it to you,”Audrey said teasingly. “It’s not actually morning anymore. We slept right through breakfast.”

Neil opened his eyes and glanced out the window to confirm her statement before turning his attention back to the woman pressed against him. “Oh well,” he said, unbothered by her words. “That just leaves time for other activities.” His lips were on hers before she could formulate a response. 

He kissed her hard. The longing and desperation that had been building over the past week erupting without a care. She opened her mouth to his almost immediately, letting him take the lead as he encircled her waist and moved her on top of him, her legs straddling his hips, as their lips melded in perfect unison.

She tugged at his shirt and Neil instinctively sat up, holding on to Audrey’s waist firmly so she wouldn’t disconnect their lips and topple over at the sudden movement. Her hands toyed with his hem and he got the message, removing his hands from her body so she could pull back just enough to easily discard the barrier separating her from his bare skin. Once accomplished, she pushed him back down so his head hit the pillow and her mouth was back on his, elbows resting beside his face as his hands snaked beneath her t-shirt and splayed wide on her lower back, holding her close. 

Despite only having done this for a few short months, they fell into perfect harmony every time. After having spent hours carefully taking the time to explore each other, unhurriedly, and without discomfiture, they knew every part of each others bodies, almost better than they knew their own. It made moments like this much more stimulating.

Needing to take a breath, she pulled back and touched her forehead to his. For just a moment, she relished in the feeling of being so close. This was a fantasy that had come to life not long ago and she still had a hard time wrapping her head around it. He was hers and she was his. Free to do this anytime they pleased. 

Audrey softly traced the outline of his lips with the pad of her thumb and he smiled against her touch, letting his eyes close and enjoying the intimacy of her becoming lost in him.

When the pleasure became too much, Neil made a low noise in the back of his throat, the vibrations of the sound tingled her fingers, bringing her back to the present. She smiled and reconnected their lips, lightly this time, her bottom lip between both of his. 

When her lips began to trail down his neck, planting soft kisses along the way, Neil realised that this was what it felt like to be in love; completely and unconditionally.

It was such a beautiful thought.

“I love you” he said, his voice nothing more than a shuddering whisper in her ear, but filled with so much confidence, he was convinced he had never meant the words more. 

She murmured incoherent sounds against his skin as she made contact with the pulse point at the base of his neck.

It took all Neil’s self-control to formulate words. “Do you love me?”

“I do.”

“I need to hear you say it.”

She sat up abruptly so she could cup his face in her hands, a tender smile upon her lips. “I love you.”

His eyes twinkled.

This was everything either of them ever wanted.


	7. Elevator

“Good morning,” Neil greeted brightly as he stepped onto the elevator. Audrey was already inside, dressed in the hospital’s navy surgical scrubs, on her way to her office after an early morning operation. 

“Good morning,” she replied, matching his tone. 

Once the doors closed and they were officially alone, Neil stepped into her space, planting a light kiss against her cheek, before leaning against the railing beside her, his hip touching hers, for the short ride up to their floor. 

They had only been together for three weeks, but the many years of friendship built on trust and mutual respect helped their relationship progress naturally and without any awkwardness. As they were enjoying the new found beginnings and all the excitement a new relationship brought, they were also trying to keep things as quiet as possible. Attempting the two at the same time had been a challenge, especially when much of their time had been spent in a public building. However, while difficult, it made the little moments like these ones much more sentimental.

“I missed you this morning.” Neil confessed. 

“I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I got called in for an emergency trauma.”

“Well you’re just going to have to make it up to me.” His smile was suggestive. 

“Oh yeah, how do you suppose I do that?”

Before he got the chance to respond, the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Moving quick, Audrey pushed off the back wall, putting a fair amount of distance between them as a nurse entered. She greeted them with a soft “hello” to which they echoed, before situating herself in front of the couple. 

Audrey could feel the sudden increase of stress hormones radiating off her body and prayed the nurse was oblivious to her tense behaviour. She liked to think they played things smoothly, but Neil was terrible at keeping secrets which in return, made her nervous. She could only imagine how many people already knew about their secret relationship simply because he had wandering eyes that seemed to always be on her when they were in the same space.

When the doors opened on the surgeons floor, they exited the elevator, Neil wishing the nurse a good day as he passed. 

Audrey huffed out a breath of relief, speed walking towards her office, hoping to find comfort in the familiar walls as Neil following in step beside her.

When her hand reached for her office door handle, she turned to Neil who had stopped a few feet behind her.

“Dinner tonight.” Audrey requested. “I’m paying.”

Neil’s eyes lit up at the prospect. “I’ll make a reservation; somewhere expensive.”

He winked teasingly and she rolled her eyes in response.

“I’ll be ready by six. You can pick me up then.”

He nodded, fighting the urge to reach out and touch her hand as passerbys now crowded the hall. “Have a good day, Dr. Lim.” 

“You too, Dr. Melendez.”


	8. Comfort

“We did everything we could,” Neil said softly, as he tightened his arms around Audrey’s waist. They were standing on the balcony of Audreys office that overlooked the surrounding city. Neil behind her, his head tilted against hers as dark clouds floated in the sky above, threatening to spit down on them at any second. It was fitting, Audrey thought, as she leaned into Neil’s embrace.

“I know,” she replied, using the sleeve of her jacket to wipe away a tear that had fallen.

When Audrey and Neil went into the operating room, they knew the chances of their patient surviving were low. They had already prepared the patient’s family for tragedy and attempted to fill her last few days with happy memories in case things did happen to take a turn for the worst. 

That didn’t make the predicted outcomes any less painful.

They had gotten too attached to their patient. They considered Everly a friend. After many years of ongoing health complications, she had frequently been in and out of the hospital, and in that time, she had become friendly with many of the hospital staff, especially Audrey. 

The two were similar in many ways. At first, Audrey considered Everly to be a nuisance. She was an elderly lady and while she had a kind face, she had too many opinions and took pleasure in getting Audrey flustered. She hated it. Neil remembers her coming out of the room during Everly’s first hospital visit, cheeks flushed, threatening to quit. She hadn’t been serious about quitting, but she was serious about retaliation. It wasn’t until Audrey begun countering with her own material that Everly began to consider Audrey an equal opponent and later, a companion. 

Everly would always ask for Audrey specifically whenever she needed a minor procedure done. Even the surgeries that were not in the realm of her specialty, she would request Audrey at least be in the room. And Audrey was always more then willing to make it work, even if it meant pulling some strings.

Neil too had been involved in a handful of those procedures. While he hadn’t grown as close to her as Audrey had, he grew a little more in love with her every time he was in her presence. 

“I always left her company feeling like a changed man.” Neil said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Audrey let out a gruff laugh through her tears. “She did have that effect.” She sighed. “I honestly thought the outcome would be different.”

“Me too.” Neil kissed the side of her head, his lips warm against the coolness of the air. “But she didn’t. She knew the chances of survival were slim which is why she made sure to say her goodbyes.”

“She told me to never stop fighting my way to the top,” Audrey confessed.

“She gave good advice.”

“She also told me I no longer had to worry about her stealing you from me.” 

Neil chuckled. “That was never an issue.”

They fell into a comforting silence. Neither was certain how long they stood there together, arms wrapped around each other in a bid to offer the other some solace. It could have been seconds or minutes, but they were content standing there in peace, until they had taken all the comfort needed.

“I love you,” Neil whispered. 

Despite the heaviness of the situation, Audrey couldn’t help but feel her hear skip a beat. She turned her head to kiss him sweetly and after a moment, pulled back just enough to murmur, “I love you too.”


	9. Yoga

“Reznick asked me if I wanted to accompany her to her yoga class Thursday evening.”

Audrey looked up from the meal in front of her, eyebrows knit together. They had stopped at a local diner on their way home from the hospital and were currently tucked into a little booth at the back of the restaurant, eating in contentment. 

“That’s strange,” Audrey commented. “Are you going to go?”

“I thought about it.” Neil said, stabbing some lettuce onto his fork. “But I decided against it.”

“But you love yoga. You’ve been trying to get me to come to a class with you since our third year of residency.”

Neils lips twitched at the thought. Every time he tried to convince her to try yoga, she claimed it did nothing but make her feel like an uncoordinated pretzel. That image always brought a sheepish smile to his face. Over time, the more he got to know her, the more he realised she was right. Audrey had a surgeon’s precision. She was focused and determined when in the operating room, but outside, she had the coordination of an elderly woman.

“I would,” Neil said. “But she asked me for the wrong reasons.”

“And what reasons might that be?”

His eyes met hers, soft and kind, knowing very well his next words would be upsetting. “To get close to you.”

Audrey head lowered “oh.”

They had made their relationship public a few months back. It was a mutual agreement. Sneaking around and keeping secrets was exciting at first. The secret glances and subtle touches was enough to keep them both stimulated until they were in the privacy of their own home. Though what started out as thrilling, quickly became a real hindrance. 

The decision came after a long discussion over a bottle of whisky. They were sitting on Neil’s couch, her hand in his as they discussed what the change would mean for their relationship. They talked about how it would impact their professional relationship and how it could potentially change their co-workers confidence in them. They even went as far as to consider how it would impact their own personal decision making. However, all their worries were for nothing.

Besides a couple comments and praises of congratulations, there was almost no change. They continued on as normal, making mutual decisions and working in unison without ever second guessing themselves. It was going well. That was until Audrey got the position of Chief. Suddenly they had a new set of problems to consider. Just like before, they talked about the more serious issues that could arise, and once again, they came to a mutual understanding. But Audrey never considered how one of those problems could be how her promotion would affect Neil’s relationship with his residents. 

She suddenly felt guilty. 

“I’m sorry,” Audrey sighed, reaching across the table to touch his fingers on the coffee cup handle. “That’s not what I intended to happen.”

“I know.” His response was genuine. “I don’t blame you.” She attempted a smile, but the sincerity was lacking. “Audrey, it’s not your fault they’re acting like children.”

“They?” Audrey questioned, removing her hand. “Reznick’s not the only one?”

Neil shook his head. “Park asked me if I wanted his hockey tickets. They were such great seats I almost accepted.”

She wasn’t sure what to say. This whole situation was still so new to her; new to them. The idea that her boyfriend was being bribed as a way to get her to play favourites made her uneasy. Not necessarily for her state of mind; she was capable of making objective decisions, but the last thing she wanted was for Neil to be put in an uncomfortable position. 

“Is there anything you would like me to do?” Audrey asked.

“Don’t worry about it. They’ll eventually realise their efforts are useless. And if they don’t, that just means I’ll continue to get free snacks for breakfast.”

“Thank you,” Audrey said. “For being so understanding with all this. I know it hasn’t exactly been easy.”

“You’re worth it.”


	10. Sick

“Neil, go home.” Audrey demanded. She was standing at the entrance of his office, arms crossed, a stern look upon her face. She had gotten the uneasy feeling that something was wrong with him after being woken up twice during the night to his restless behaviour. Her fears were only heightened when he forgone sleep completely, choosing to leave for work before dawn, forgetting to kiss her on his way out - something he always made certain to do. 

Now standing in front of him, noticing his pale face and tired eyes actively avoiding her gaze, she knew she had reason to worry.

“I’m fine,” he responded.

“You’re sick.” As if to highlight her point, he sneezed loudly. “And you can’t be wandering the halls spreading your germs.”

“I promise I won’t leave my office.”

“No,” her tone was sharp. “Go home. Chiefs orders.” 

To reiterate her seriousness, she handed him his jacket. He half-heartedly obliged, shrugging on the coat with her help. 

He knew she was right. The last place he should be right now was a hospital, especially during the beginning of flu season, but he was terrible when it came to spending the day in bed. He often found himself wandering around the house, trying to find something to distract him from the pain, only to become more exhausted and barely able to make it to the couch before passing out.

The back of Audrey’s hand moved to his forehead and Neil leaned into her touch, loving the coolness of her skin against his warm one.

“You’re burning up. Maybe I should drive you home.”

“I’ll be fine. I promise. There’s no need to interrupt your day for me.”

“Okay,” she agreed after a beat. “But I’m still going to come home during my lunch break to tuck you in.”

“I can’t wait.” His tone was teasing but lacking its usual spark. He sneezed once more. “Can you bring me some of my favourite chicken noodle soup on your way home?”

“Sure. Now go. Call me if you need anything.”

. 

Four hours later, Audrey walked into the home she shared with Neil, brown paper bag containing his hot soup in one hand, a bottle of Tylenol in the other. When it came to resting while sick, Neil was more stubborn than her. That’s why she was thankful, albeit a little surprised, when she found him lying in bed, covers pulled up to his chest, fast asleep. 

She didn’t mean to wake him, but when she got onto the bed beside him, feeling it dip, he woke with a start. 

He blinked up at her.

“Hi,” Audrey said softly. “How you feeling?”

“Much better now that you’re here.” She smiled at his flirty words, even though she knew full well he was lying to her. It wasn’t hard to tell. His face had lost more colour and beads of sweat had begun to form around his hairline, despite his obvious shivering. 

She brushed the damp locks from his forehead. “I brought you some soup and some medication.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you feel like eating?” He shook his head. “Okay, at least take the medicine.”

He did without protesting. Sitting up in bed with a groan and a helpful hand from Audrey, he swallowed the pills down with a cup of water, before leaning back into the pillows, spent.

“Can you stay with me for a while?” He asked, looking at her through hooded eyes. 

“Of course.”

She positioned herself beside him, on her side, facing him. Laying her palm against his bare chest, she rubbed soothing circles against his skin, lulling him to rest. His eyes were closed, and despite looking like a ghost, he seemed content. 

Within minutes, his breathing deepened, coming out much more raspy than normal, and then he was asleep. 

She stayed next to him for as long as possible, continuing the comforting motion of her hand. It’s rare Neil ever got sick, but when he did, it hit him hard and fast. A few days of rest and plenty of fluids and he would be good as new. Audrey didn’t mind taking care of him. She had come to realise there wasn’t much she wouldn’t do for this man. 

When she absolutely had to get going, she moved carefully, in an attempt not to wake him. 

Pressing a light kiss to his forehead, Audrey let her lips linger a little longer than usual, before whispering her love and promising she would be home soon, the words falling on deaf ears.


	11. Sunday

“Good morning” Neil said cheerfully as he made his way into the kitchen to grab a cold bottle of water. “I'm leaving for my morning run.”

“Have fun,” Audrey responded from her position on the couch where her focus was currently occupied by some Sunday morning TV program while she enjoyed a bowl of sugary cereal. 

While Neil was often productive on a Sunday morning - getting up early to perform a workout followed by making himself (and her since he purposely made too much) a healthy breakfast, Audrey was quite the opposite. She preferred to lounge around the house in comfortable clothes, relaxing, and otherwise doing nothing productive until Neil completed his morning “ritual” as she called it. 

As Sunday’s were typically the one day throughout the week that they both had off, they both made it a habit of pushing all work to the side and spending the day together, free from any distractions. The promise of getting to spend some time alone often became the one thing that got them through the busy work week. Even though they rarely did anything extravagant, the simple act of being together was all they needed. 

“Are you doing the same route as last time?” Audrey asked.

“I think we’re going to try a different route today. Something a little less hilly.”

“Well stay safe,” she said, her eyes not leaving the TV screen. “Stay away from cars and watch out for people on bikes. The people on bikes are the worst.” She didn’t hide her distaste. 

Neil couldn’t help but agree. She was right after all. He would need two hands to count the amount of times he had almost been run over by a biker not stopping for a red light or zooming past him a little too closely.

“You know it's not too late to change your mind.” Neil piped in. “I'm sure Claire wouldn't mind if you joined us.”

Audrey scoffed. “I don't run.”

“Oh come on,” he whined. “Running is good for you. It's good for the muscles.” He leaned against the back of the couch, his face inches from hers. “It’s good for the heart.”

“My heart’s just fine, thank you very much.”

He playfully poked her arm. “It increases stamina.”

Neil couldn't see it from his position, but he knew she had rolled her eyes. “I didn’t hear you complaining about my stamina last night.”

He simply laughed in response, unable to come up with a clever retort. Besides, he couldn’t argue with her. Between the two of them, she was definitely the one who set the pace. He was always trying to keep up with her. Neil wasn’t sure how she kept herself in such great shape. He had never once seen her partake in exercise. The closest thing to a workout he had seen from her (besides lovemaking) was watching her run around the ER after a mass trauma. That was one thing she could do for hours, never complaining or even stopping to take a breath. 

It was one of the many things about her that amazed him.

“Fine. At least kiss me before I leave.”

Giving into his request, Audrey paused the television screen and placed her now empty bowl of cereal on the coffee table before turning her body so she could kneel on the couch cushions and properly wrap her arms around his neck, kissing him.

After a long moment, he pulled back just enough to ask, “what are you going to do while I'm gone?”

She hummed thoughtfully. “I was thinking I'd draw myself a bath. Finally start the novel that’s been sitting on my bedside table for the past month. Maybe light some candles.”

Neil made a little sound in the back of his throat that sounded strikingly similar to arousal. He knew she wouldn't actually light any candles. She didn't like any of the scented ones he kept on the rim of the tub. He had lit some a couple weeks back as they shared the warm water one night. She had only lasted ten minutes before she leaned out of the comfort of his embrace to blow out the flames, claiming they smelt like her grandmother's laundry detergent. 

Nonetheless, he liked the picture she was painting for him.

“Is that so?” Audrey didn’t even bother to hide her shiver as he leaned in further, his lips traveling against her soft skin to the spot below her ear. She instinctively tilted her head to the side to give him better access. “Maybe I should call Claire,” he said. “Tell her I can't make it. That I've come down with a cold or something.”

Audrey moaned but reluctantly pulled away from him. “No.” The firmness in her voice shocked him. She recovered quickly. “What I mean is, this is the only me time I get throughout the week, and I like to take advantage of it. Plus-” Her lips met his once more. “I wouldn't want that stamina of yours to decline." 

He laughed loudly, softening into her. “Fine. But how about I cancel our lunch reservation and instead we spend the day indoors.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. 

“I like that idea.”

They smiled widely at one another before reconnecting their lips in a soft goodbye kiss, before Neil headed out the door.


	12. Tomorrow

When Neil entered his apartment late that night, he could immediately sense Audrey’s presence. There was nothing to reveal that she was in his home. No shoes laid out by the door or dishes left out in the kitchen, nor was her bike parked in the driveway, but something changes inside him whenever she is near and it’s almost as if he can physically feel his nerve endings becoming electrified. 

He was surprised she had decided to come over. They had gotten into a pretty heated argument earlier that morning while discussing a patient’s course of treatment in her office. It wasn’t actually the treatment plan that caused the argument. When it came down to it, that was the one thing they both ended up agreeing on. It’s what their discussion unraveled that caused such a sudden turbulence in their relationship. Their faults were rooted in the fact that they were both exhausted and overworked, as well as dealing poorly with the fact that they hadn’t gotten to spend any time together as of late. Both of them just needed a way to let their frustrations out and since there was no one else around to take their anger out on, they took it out on each other.

Both Audrey and Neil had said some rather unpleasant things. Nothing that went as far as to hurt the other person, but enough to leave some lingering doubts. To top things off, once Neil had cooled down and come to his senses, his attempts at apologising had fallen on deaf ears as Audrey deliberately went out of her way to avoid him.

Neil wasn’t shocked. In fact, he expected that exact response. While their romantic relationship was still in its early stages, Audrey had been his friend for many years and in that time, her coping mechanisms hadn’t changed. As Audrey typically did after an argument, she shut him out. She had done it multiple times in the past. When things got heavy and she felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders, she liked to find some solace in the comfort of her own space. Alone. Not talking to him or anyone else she didn’t need to. She wouldn’t even take a quick moment to send him a simple text to let him know she was okay. It was always something that frustrated Neil, but he always gave her the space she needed. In time, she would always come back to him and his arms were always open and waiting. 

This time around, however, Audrey had chosen to forgo the days of avoidance and loneliness, and skip right to the part where she lets him in. It was a sign of progress and even that small gesture was enough.

When Neil opened the door to the bedroom, his breath caught in his throat. He’s not quite sure if his reaction was a result of the fact that there was still a lingering doubt in the back of his mind that Audrey wasn’t actually in his home and that fear was suddenly eradicated, or the fact that she looked so content despite the day’s events. Whatever it was, there was a lightness in the room that filled Neil with hope. 

She was laying on his side of the bed, arms wrapped around the pillow at her head and sheets pulled up to her chest, snoring softly. Without a word, Neil stripped his clothes and carefully slid into bed next to her, his chest against her back, wrapping an arm around her. 

Audrey stirred slightly at the movement and murmured his name sleepily. 

Neil shushed her. “Tomorrow,” he said quietly, kissing her temple. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Get some sleep.” 

She nodded and relaxed her head into the pillow. 

Neil could physically feel the tension from both their bodies dissipate now that they were in each other’s embrace. Their communication skills were certainly something that needed work, but Neil was confident they would find a way to get better at it. They were both willing to make the effort because while neither of them had said the words out loud, they loved each other, and that love was the one thing that kept them both fighting for what they wanted.


	13. Black Eye

Neil was walking down the hospital hallway when he spotted Morgan standing in front of a sink in one of the sanitary rooms, her eyebrows scrunched in fury as she aggressively rubbed at a large stain on her white lab coat with a cloth. Her seemingly distraught behaviour caught his attention. Knocking once on the door to announce his presence, he entered the room.

"Dr. Reznick?" He questioned. She didn't bother to look up from her task at hand. As he got closer, he realised the stain was blood. Concern arose. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Her tone was dismissive. She wet the cloth again and brought it back to her coat. The action did nothing but spread the stain further.

"Morgan," Neil tried again, his voice soft. "It's not going to come out."

"I know," she threw the cloth into a hazard waste bin and sighed. "I'm sorry." She met Neil's worried eyes. "It's this patient. I've never had anyone so difficult before. He's not only rude and contemptuous, but he's violent." She huffed. "He even punched Dr. Lim."

Neil tensed. "Is that Dr. Lim's blood?"

She shook her head. "No, it's the patients." 

Neil felt his shoulders visibly relax. "Is Dr. Lim okay?" 

The was a noticeable shift in the room as Morgan's mood changed from anger to sympathy. "Yes, I think so. Dr. Park is with her now checking her over."

Neil nodded. 

"Room 318," Morgan added, reading his thoughts. 

He responded with a half-smile which she mirrored. On his way out the door, he paused and turned back to his resident. "Are you going to be alright?" 

She nodded. "Yes, thank you."

.

When Neil entered Room 318, Audrey was sitting on a patient bed, her legs hanging off the edge, a bag of ice in one hand, a clean cloth in the other, as Dr. Park held an otoscope up to her eye. 

"Audrey?" Neil called. By the way her head was tilted towards the ceiling, she couldn't see him enter. He went to stand beside her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, letting her know he was there. "I hear you had a rough morning." 

She let out a gruff laugh. "You could say that."

"How you doing?" 

"I'm fine."

"She's right," Park cut in, removing the light from her eye. "There is no internal damage. Just a black eye." He put the device back to its place on the wall. "I'll give you two a moment." 

He excused himself from the room, shutting the door behind him, the pair simultaneously offering their thanks as he left.

Neil situated himself in front of Audrey, cupping her face softly between his hands, assessing the damage. 

"What happened?" 

"The patient was hallucinating. We were trying to calm him down but things got a little out of hand."

Neil's thumb gently grazed over the small bump underneath her eye that was rapidly turning black. He took the ice bag from Audrey's hand and wrapped it in the cloth, placing it against the bruise. She winced at contact.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that. Would you like me to go beat him up?"

Audrey snorted. "Please, if I couldn't take him, there's no way you could." 

"Hey," Neil exclaimed. "I take offence. I'm plenty strong."

"Yes you are," Audrey agreed. "But I don't think you could take someone who is twice your size and considers you to be a threat. Plus, I don't want my doctors beating up patients. It's too much paperwork."

Neil laughed. "Fair enough."

Audrey replaced Neil's hand, holding the bag of ice to her eye. While tender, the pain was manageable. A little over-the-counter pain medication to reduce the swelling and a bit of rest and it would be good as new. Unfortunately, rest would have to wait for the time being as she was still a doctor, one who had many patients to look after.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine."

"How about on our way home we stop off at that little bakery and get a box of those weird pastry things you love so much. My treat." 

Audrey softened. Nearly two years with this man and he still had the ability to arouse that warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

"Yes please. The big box, not the little one." 

"Deal," he smiled brightly at her. "Now let's get you back to the comfort of your own office." Reaching out his hand to help her up, she accepted, standing slowly, careful not to over exert herself.

Audrey threw her ice bag into a garbage bin, and with a hand against the small of her back, Neil ushered her towards the door. As he reached for the handle, she stopped him. "Wait," She turned into him, bringing her hand to his cheek and tilting her head towards his. She kissed him tenderly, showing her appreciation and love.

"Thank you."

"Always."


	14. Painting

“What’s this?” Neil asked. It was Friday evening and he was standing in Audrey’s office waiting for her to finish packing her bag so they could leave for the weekend. The item Neil was referring to was a child’s painting. It was taped to her office wall, and by the way he had to bend down to reach it, he suspected the artist had placed it there themselves. 

“Remember the widowed mother we operated on last month?” Audrey asked, as she placed the remaining documents into her bag and zipped it up.

“The one with the six year old daughter who kept referring to you as Mrs. Melendez?” 

“She only called me that because you told her to.”

Neil grinned proudly, unbothered by her annoyed tone. “Amy was her name right?”

“Yes. They came to see me today. She wanted to drop off the painting as a thank you for saving her mom.”

“I helped save her mom too,” Neil said. “Where’s my painting?”

“It was for both of us. You're in it too.”

“I am?”

Audrey moved to stand behind him, her chin on his shoulder as they stared at the artwork in his hands. 

“This one is me” Audrey pointed to a tall square like figure in the photo with long dark hair who was wearing an exaggerated smile. “And this one is you.” She pointed to the other larger figure in the painting with shorter hair who was holding the hand of Audrey’s character. 

“And the two smaller people?”

“Well apparently this one in the yellow dress is Amy, and this one-” Audrey pointed to a small child with a large pink bow on top of her head. “Is her new best friend who also happens to be our daughter.” 

Neil’s head snapped to look at her, a high pitch sound emitting from the back of his throat. Audrey tried hard to stifle her laugh.

It took all of five seconds for him to come to terms with what she said. He looked back at the painting, then, after a long second, his eyes shifted to Audrey’s once more. “Well, I’d hate to be the one to disappoint a child.”

Audrey didn’t have time to comprehend his words before he moved and his lips were on hers in a searing kiss. His kiss was hot against her lips. Not tender or sweet like how he often kissed her when they were in a semi-private place such as her office. This was laced with passion and the promise of their future. She felt him cup her face in his hands to keep her close to him, the warmth of his palms striking against the coolness of the room. It wasn’t until she felt his tongue trace her bottom lip that Audrey came to her senses.

“Hold on,” Audrey pulled back, but his lips didn’t falter, continuing small kisses along her jaw to the area below her ear. “Are you really using this beautiful gift as a way to get me into bed?” 

Neil groaned, finally withdrawing his lips from her skin. “You ruined the moment,” he declared.

Audrey rolled her eyes, but the heat of their actions did not dissolve, the intensity still wildly noticeable in the air around them.

Even so, Audrey slipped from his embrace. They were still at work after all.

She grabbed for her bag once more and Neil, who had collected himself, grabbed the jacket thrown over the back of her chair and held it open behind her so she could easily slip her arms through the sleeves. 

“You know we’ve never talked about it before.” Neil said, his tone now soft, yet etched with seriousness. As Audrey buttoned her coat, Neil gently collected the hair that had gotten caught on the inside of her jacket and tugged it out, before turning her in his arms. “Having children I mean.”

Audrey’s eyes shied away from him, a contrast to the fervent moment they had just shared. Neil placed a hand on her cheek, willing her to look at him. “Would that be something you would be interested in discussing in the near future?”

They held each other’s gaze for a long moment before Audrey replied. “Yeah, I think it might be.”

Neil’s smile was so wide, Audrey was certain she had never seen him so happy before. 

They didn’t talk about it that night. Or the next. But one night, as they sat side by side on their balcony, watching the sunset while enjoying a bottle of wine, they did.


	15. Jessica

“I ran into Jessica today,” Neil confessed. They were sitting side by side on the couch, watching television, relaxed, while enjoying an evening drink like they often did after a busy work day. 

“Your ex fiancée Jessica?” Audrey confirmed.

“Yes.”

Audrey leaned forward to switch out her glass of whiskey for the remote control off the coffee table and paused the television screen. Turning her attention completely to Neil, she scooted closer to him and placed her hand in his, resting their clasped hands on her thigh. “Do you want to talk about it?” She knew the answer before she asked the question. 

He nodded and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Once out of air, he met Audrey’s eyes, holding eye contact in a way that told her this was going to be one of their more serious conversations. 

He started slowly, cautiously. “Audrey, there is something I need to confess.” 

“Okay,” she responded hesitantly. She knew Neil would never cheat on her. He wouldn’t even consider it in a dream state if given the chance, so that thought was abandoned before she even had time to fully ponder it. Her first tangible thought was Jessica had come to a realisation that she made a mistake and wanted to give her relationship with Neil a second chance, but Audrey quickly cast that idea aside as well. She didn’t know Jessica well, but she knew her well enough to know she wasn’t the type to change her mind once it was made up. Her second thought was that she was sick and she went to Neil for a consultation, but that thought didn’t go along with Neils guilty tone. Finally, instead of contemplating possibilities that seemed unimaginable, Audrey nodded her head slightly, urging him to go on.

“Jess and I used to fight about you.” Audrey’s eyebrows knit together in confusion. This was exactly why she stopped guessing. Out of all the possibilities, this confession wasn’t even in the top ten. Neil continued before Audrey had the chance to respond. “It wasn’t often, but you would come up in conversation every once in a while.” 

He gave her some time to process the new information. Neil wasn’t certain what he expected her reaction to be. Indignation, maybe. Confusion, certainly. Possibly a bit of guilt. He watched intently as her gaze dropped to their hands then back to his face, before repeating the motion a few more times.

Finally, she said, “I don’t understand.”

“We were so close Audrey,” Neil said softly. “You and I. Every so often, especially during the beginning of our relationship, Jess would question my feelings for you.”

“But she doesn’t seem like the type to get jealous easily?”

Neil shrugged. “There was something about our relationship that bothered her. I did everything I could to convince her I didn’t have any romantic feelings for you.”

“And now we’re together.” 

“And now we’re together,” Neil confirmed.

She let his words hang in the air between them. It never once occurred to her that she would ever be a source of Neil’s past relationship drama. Her and Jessica were not close, but they were friendly. When they would see each other in the halls, they would always greet each other or stop to have a brief conversation. There was nothing that hinted to her that there was ever any inkling of jealousy. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Audrey said honestly. “It was never my intent to cause any friction in your relationship with her.”

“It was never your fault.” 

“Does she know about us?” He nodded. “What did she say?”

“She wasn’t angry, but she definitely believes I was lying to her all those years.”

Those words hit her like a ton of bricks as she realised the implications of Neil’s run-in with his former partner. He was feeling guilty. Not because they were together presently, but because at one point, there was a possibility they could be more and they never took the chance. Regardless, whatever their relationship was before, any feelings that had the potential of leading to a romantic relationship was forgotten as soon as Neil and Jessica had gotten together. Though that didn’t stop others from suspecting what they wanted to see.

Neither of them were ever oblivious to the hospital gossip, no matter how hard they tried to ignore it. Audrey and Neil knew their coworkers thought they were in some sort of secret affair. It was obvious from the way nurses and doctors would glance towards the two of them, whispering in secret amongst themselves while nodding in their direction as the pair walked side by side down the hallway. Or the way someone would blush scarlet when they accidentally walked in upon Audrey and Neil alone together. They were never doing anything more than sitting next to one another, looking over notes or eating lunch, but by their coworkers own perception of them, they always assumed they had walked in on something private.

“We didn’t have feelings for each other back then,” Audrey reassured. “No matter what other people might have thought.” 

His eyes met hers and she could see the sadness in them, a dejection so un-Neil like hidden in the back of his eyes, Audrey didn’t even notice the way his lips curved upward in an attempted smile.

“You’re a good man, Neil.” Audrey added. “You were faithful to Jessica in your relationship with her and you’re faithful to me now. I’ve never once thought differently.”

“Thank you. I needed to hear that.” His response was honest. 

Moving their clasped hands around her shoulder, she cuddled into his side, providing comfort the best way she knew how. He tugged her closer, placing a light kiss to her hair, before resting his head against hers.  
Audrey was certain Neil still had his doubts, but that didn’t change anything. All that mattered was that all the choices they had made in the past, lead to this exact moment.


	16. Comfort (pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sister chapter to chapter 8

Audrey was sitting in bed, propped up against a pillow, her focus engaged in her latest novel when Neil walked into their bedroom. He should have been surprised that she was still awake, it was nearing midnight and she had had a long day, but he wasn’t, not in the slightest. Amongst all else, they were partners. Partners who stayed up late waiting for the other to come home after they had a difficult day at work. 

She met his eyes, a somber look upon her face, but didn’t say anything. 

He spoke first, knowing she was waiting for him to set the tone, and greeted her with a soft “hi.”

She echoed him as she observed him carefully while he changed from his button down shirt and trousers into loungewear. He moved slowly, taking his time to ponder and find the right words to say. The events of the day were still very vivid in his mind and he hadn’t yet had time to process his emotions.

Finally, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, Neil stared at his folded hands in his laps, vision blurry from the wetness in his eyes. Taking a rigid breath, he said, “I lost a patient today.”

“I know.” Audrey responded, bookmarking her page and placing the novel on the bedside table. “What can I do?” She placed a comforting hand on his back and he felt himself relax into her touch. 

When he turned his head just enough to meet her worried eyes, Neil knew exactly what he needed. “Just hold me.”

So she did. She circled her arms around him as he joined her under the covers. He leaned into her, his head resting in the crook of her neck, taking comfort in the soothing motion of the rise and fall of her chest. She held him tightly. 

He didn’t hide his heart, even though his primal instinct was screaming at him to do just that. Neil had spent so much of his career living with his sorrows in silence. He never had a partner who understood what he was going through well enough to find reassurance in their consolation. Being with Audrey was different. Just sitting there in her arms, her fingers repetitively brushing through his hair, letting him grieve without forcing him to talk about it, made him feel much lighter. 

Once he was ready, he would tell her all about it. It’s not like she didn’t already know. She had no doubt already read through the patient report. But she always let him open up to her in his own time, never pushing or demanding answers.

Neil felt her shift slightly and if he hadn’t sensed it, he could have dreamt the soft kiss she placed on his temple. 

“I love you,” she whispered.

He found her hand hidden under the covers and squeezed tightly. “Say it again,” he begged.

So she did.

Again.

And again


	17. Lucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not necessarily the jealous Neil fic you've all been asking for, but hopefully this holds you over until inspiration hits and I can write something better.

"Dr. Melendez," Neil heard his girlfriend’s voice call from somewhere down the hall behind him. Turning around, he found her speed walking in his direction, wearing her white doctors coat and a look of determination on her face. 

"Dr. Lim, to what do I owe this unexpected mid-day pleasure?" Neil greeted, offering her a charming smile.

"I have this patient. He came into the ER this morning complaining of chest pains but it's not a heart attack nor any other common cardiovascular conditions. I was hoping you could provide some insight as to what the problem might be."

"Well lucky for you, I don't have any surgeries planned for the rest of the day." He took the chart she was carrying from her hands and flipped through the first two pages. "Who's the patient?" 

"Male, early forties, good health. Says he exercises for least an hour a day, I certainly believe him." Neil’s eyes lifted from the chart to meet hers, an eyebrow raised. She immediately shied away from him, clearing her throat and turning her focus back to the pages in his hands. "He said he noticed the pain when he woke up this morning but it has gradually gotten worse throughout the day." 

Neil hummed in thought. "Could be some underlying condition, but I'd have to run some tests to confirm exactly which." 

"Great. Follow me."

Audrey led Neil towards the ER to where her patient lay amongst all the other patients, sitting up in one of the beds, his face scrunched in noticeable agony as he held a hand to his chest, as if the simple action had healing powers that would reduce his discomfort. The guy was certainly athletic, just as Audrey had confirmed. Tall, broad shoulders, large arms, and an irresistible smile that could easily charm even the wariest of people.

"Mr. Bray, this is Dr. Melendez," Audrey introduced. "He will be taking over your case."

The man didn't even acknowledge him, his focus too enthralled by Audrey's sudden presences. "But I like having you as my doctor." His answer was followed by a sultry grin. Neil was certain if the guy wasn't so overcome by pain, his words would have come out flirty like the way they were intended.

"Unfortunately, my cardio skills are limited, but don't worry, Dr. Melendez will take good care of you." 

"You'll at least come back to check in on me in a couple hours, right?”

Audrey and Neil shared a brief look. "I'll do my best."

With a smile, Audrey made her departure, touching Neil’s forearm as she passed, a sign of good luck. Neil didn't miss the way Mr. Bray's eyes followed the gesture and though he wasn’t proud of it, the feeling of satisfaction filled him with the motivation he needed to get through the consult.

"I'm going to need you to take off your shirt," he started, then proceeded to prepare the needed machines. Mr. Bray did as instructed.

After three long beats of silence, Neil almost thought that this was going to be a normal session. Professional and to the point. But then the fourth beat came and that's when his patient could no longer hold back his curiosity. "So, is Dr. Lim seeing anyone?" 

"Yes," Neil replied hoping that would be the end of the conversation. "Now lie back." 

Once again, Mr. Bray did as he was told.

"Is it serious?" 

“Yes."

"I didn't see a ring on her finger."

"That's because I haven't gotten around to asking her yet,” Neil said sharply.

"Oh," Mr. Bray said. Another long beat. “Well, you are one lucky man."

"Yes I am. Now stay still please."

.

On his way to Audrey's office later that evening, he contemplated telling her about his rather unprecedented encounter with her patient. They had a rule: no discussing their love lives with anyone at the hospital. Technically that rule was made to withstand the wrath of the nosy nurses, not patients, but Neil figured in situations like this, it also applied. Sure, every once in a while when he needed to convince a patient why choosing to live was worth it, he'd draw from experience and tell one of their more romantic stories. It was always one that was sappy enough he had to make sure no residents were in proximity, because he was confident Audrey would proceed to kill him if she ever found out anyone at the hospital knew what went on behind closed doors. 

But this was different. Part of him thought she would find it amusing. The other part of him thought she would be annoyed. He certainly was.

Knocking once on her office door, he let himself in and closed the door behind him. 

"Hi" she welcomed, slipping on her coat. "I'm almost ready."

"No rush. How was your day?" 

"Long but productive." Now ready, she walked into his arms and as if it were second nature - by this point in their relationship it was, his arms circled around her. "How was yours?"

"Good. I could have gone without the guy who wanted to ask out my girlfriend though."

"Oh yeah," she smiled sheepishly. "How is Mr. Bray?"

"He's going to be fine. Some medication and a bit of rest and he'll be back at the gym benching double my bodyweight in no time."

"Good."

Without prompting, Neil leaned in, softly touching his lips against Audrey's. It was nothing more than a light brush of contact but then Audrey's arms tightened around his waist and he couldn't help but press more firmly against her until she opened her mouth to him, allowing his eager tongue entrance. It was sweet, fiery, and passionate all at the same time and the heat of the moment was enough to make them both feel a little dizzy. They never let things get this intense at work, even in the privacy of one of their offices. It was one of their rules. But tonight, Neil couldn't seem to remember why. 

Audrey pulled back first, breathing heavy, her eyes searching his with a look of curiosity and a hint of arousal. "What was that for?"

"Nothing. I was just reminded today about how lucky I am to have you in my life."

"You forgot?"

Neil chuckled, his roaming hands finding their rightful place on her hips once more. "Not for one second."

"Well, I'm lucky to have you in my life too. But we could both be a lot luckier if we get out of here." 

"That we could be." 

And with that thought hanging suggestively in the air, hand in hand they eagerly walked towards the exit.


	18. Scared

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: this chapter mentions events of the Season 2 two parter (the quarantine episodes). If you are in any way triggered by events of our global situation, please skip this chapter.

"You look nice," Neil commented from his place in the kitchen where he was cooking himself breakfast on the stove. "Where are you off to?" 

"The hospital," Audrey replied, slipping on her jacket. "I'm going to go talk to Andrews about going back to work."

"Wait, what? It's only been a week."

"I know, but I get bored staying here all day and I feel ready to go back."

She was referring to the deadly virus outbreak that took the lives of three of her patients and caused the entire Emergency Room of St. Bonaventure to go into lockdown. Since that experience, Audrey was forced to take some time off work, despite her constant protests. Not working left more time to remember the horrific events and that was something she was trying really hard to avoid. Thankfully, Neil had been there. He opened up his home to her and provided her with company while making her feel safe and welcomed.

It didn't happen right away. At first, after only one night in the hospital, all Audrey wanted to do was curl up in her own bed and sleep away the memories. She hadn't even considered spending the night at Neil's until she found him curled up on her couch the next morning, still in his work clothes, with nothing other than a thin throw blanket to keep him warm. After spending their entire breakfast arguing back and forth, Neil had eventually convinced her to stay at his place with the promise he would keep his hands to himself and tend to her every need, no matter how little the request. That got her attention. 

Though their relationship was still incredibly new and she was hesitant about invading his home, he made her feel comfortable and she realised quickly that they complemented each other well in a domestic environment. Though, he didn't exactly stay true to his promise on keeping his hands to himself, because on the first night, she ended up falling asleep in his arms. 

"Hold on," Neil said, turning off the stove and forgetting about his breakfast completely. "Can't we talk about this?"

"What's there to talk about?" 

"You almost died a week ago!" 

"And I've recovered since then." 

"You get winded every time you walk up the stairs. You're not recovered." 

"It's not your decision." She was beginning to grow frustrated, annoyed by his overprotective behaviour.

"You're not even cleared to go back to work yet!"

"Which is why I'm going into the hospital this morning." 

"So you can manipulate your test results and trick the doctors into letting you go back?" By the look of fury on her face, he knew right away that it was the wrong thing to say.

"How could you possibly think that is something I would do?" With that, she reached for the door handle.

"Audrey, wait!"

"No, You don't get to tell me what to do!" 

"Damnit Audrey, my heart stopped!" Neil exclaimed, slamming his hand on the counter with more than enough force. She jumped, startled by his sudden outburst. He had never raised his voice in such a way before - not to her. 

Realising he had handled the situation poorly, he immediately took two deep breaths to calm his temper, then apologised. "I'm sorry," he said, his eyes wet with unshed tears of frustration and worry. Cautiously, he approached her, and when she didn't react, he reached for her hands. She let him. "When I saw you on that monitor locked in quarantine, my heart stopped. I thought I was going to lose you and there was nothing I could do to help. I was scared. So scared. Terrified even, and I just don't want to go through that again."

Audrey softened. "Neil," her voice was tender. "I didn't know."

He never brought it up. The topic was still so fresh in their minds, he didn't want to have that discussion, for both their sakes. On the nights he woke with a start, covered in a sheen of cold sweat and reeling of nightmares, he would reach for Audrey beside him, listen to her soft snores, take a few deep breaths himself, then shift closer to her and fall back to sleep without her knowing. Hours later, when she woke up in the same manner, he would be right there with her, giving her the space she needed to come to terms with reality but always opening up his arms to her, allowing her to take all the comfort she needed once she was ready. They never mentioned it the following mornings.

"I can't lose you." Neil confessed.

"I'm sorry."

"Forget the fact that we're dating, I couldn't lose you even if we weren't. You mean so much to me."

"I'm going to be okay," Audrey reassured, freeing her hand of his so she could wipe the single tear that was trailing down his cheek.

He nodded, still not completely convinced. Turning his head, he kissed the palm of her hand, letting his lips linger for a long moment. Audrey felt her heart skip a beat. This was such a romantic gesture and she still wasn't used to him acting in such a manner, despite the fact that she had slept in his bed with him pressed up against her the past few nights. 

"I know I can't stop you from walking out this door and asking for your job back, but would you be willing to compromise?" 

"What do you suggest?"

"Go back to work, but start small. Start with the basic stuff that is typically reserved for first years and once your respiratory function is back to normal and you properly get cleared, then you go back to fixing frat boys who bash their heads in while attempting to surf on the hoods of cars."

She considered his proposal before responding. "Counter offer. I busy myself with the basics but anytime there is a low risk surgery, I take lead. Given that I get cleared first."

"I can live with that."

"Good. Are we okay?"

"Yeah, we're okay. I'm sorry for yelling."

"I'm sorry for being difficult and not taking into account your feelings."

"You didn't know."

"We're getting better at this." Audrey commented with a smile.

"What's that?"

"Communicating."

"It just shows how much we care."


	19. Andrews

By the time Audrey and Neil got back to their hotel room, the New York sky had fallen dark. They were there for a conference; both doctors representing St. Bonaventure as guest speakers in their respected specialties. It was one of the larger conferences where not only people from around the United States attended, but people flew in from all over the world to listen to the special guest speakers. Andrews had asked them individually if they were interested in attending before informing them they had both been asked to give a presentation. Both jumped on the opportunity without any hesitation. Conferences were often long and tiring, but the chance to represent their place of work and speak on topics that were new and exciting was a great honour.

Right after the dinner that had been put together for the guest speakers had come to a close, Audrey insisted she and Neil go back to their shared hotel room so she could go over her notes on what went well, and more specifically, what could have been done differently. Now, sitting propped up against a couple pillows in bed, papers spread across her lap, she worked diligently, focused on the task at hand. 

Neil on the other hand was laying relaxed under the covers, one hand resting behind the weight of his head as the other held the television remote towards the screen, flipping through channels in an attempt to find something interesting to watch. When he couldn’t find anything, he sighed in defeat and turned off the TV, then turned his attention to the women beside him, whose pen was moving rapidly across her notepad. He stared at her adoringly for a long while, hoping to catch her attention, but if she felt the weight of Neil’s intense stare, she didn’t acknowledge it. 

Unable to put up with the silence any longer, Neil poked her side.“Audrey,” he whined. She didn’t flinch. “I’m bored.”

“Read your book,” she suggested, not taking her eyes off the page.

“I finished it on the plane ride over.”

“Well then go take one of those long bubble baths you enjoy.”

His eyes lit up. “Are you going to join me?”

Her eyes left her paper to meet his, an annoyed expression upon her face that answered his question. 

Neil huffed and sunk into the pillows. “Baths are no longer enjoyable unless you're there too. Thanks for ruining my favourite solo activity.”

“At least you still got yoga.”

He groaned.

“I’ll tell you what,” she said, finally willing to be reasonable. “How about you let me finish this one page of notes and then we’ll go for a walk around the city. It’s still pretty early our time. Plus I’ve never explored New York before.”

“Deal.”

Neil sat quietly, allowing Audrey to finish her set of notes without any distractions.

No more than five minutes later, Audrey’s phone rang loudly. She reached over to pick it up off the bedside table and waited for the name to display on the screen before answering the call and placing it against her ear.

“Hello, Dr. Andrews,” Audrey greeted. “How are you?”

Neil could only faintly hear Andrews’ response through the receiver letting her know all was well and inquiring if he was interrupting anything.

“Not at all.” Audrey replied. “You caught me at a good time. I just got back to the hotel room and I’m going over some notes from the day’s event.”

Neil didn’t miss the way his girlfriend carefully formulated her words, attempting to sound composed while not accidentally revealing that he wasn’t sitting in bed right beside her.

They had only been dating for a month and in that time, they still hadn’t revealed their relationship to their colleagues, including Andrews. Since they decided to make things official, the topic of their relationship had only been brought up once after nearly getting caught one morning by one of their co-workers. At the time, they were sitting in a meeting room simultaneously doing work when Audrey had said something witty that made Neil laugh. He had leaned into her, not to kiss her, but enough to sneak his arm around her waist and bring himself physically closer to her. That’s when a doctor had decided to walk in. Neil had never retreated so quickly, removing his hand from her waist and using the design of the rolling chair to push away from her. That only made the doctor more suspicious. His eyes narrowed at the couple, momentarily forgetting the reason he had walked into the room in the first place. 

Neil brought up the subject first, hoping Audrey would consider making an appointment with Dr. Andrews to finally out their relationship. He did it carefully one night as they were laying in bed, the mood around them light, but his attempts didn’t make a difference. He got the response he expected when Audrey shut him down, retreating from his embrace, saying she was not ready and wanted to continue their relationship in private. He didn’t argue with her. Instead, he gathered her back into his arms, kissed her forehead, and told her they would wait until she was ready. He promised her during the beginning of their relationship that they would take it slow, and he was determined to stand by that promise. 

Without another word, the subject was dropped and hadn’t been brought up since.

On the phone, Andrews and Audrey went back and forth exchanging pleasantries, before Andrews finally brought up the topic he originally called to inquire about. 

“The presentation?” Audrey said into the phone. Neil noticed the way her voice stuttered. It was faint, but he knew her well enough to know how she stumbled on her words when her insecurities were rising to the surface. She was always so confident when it came to anything medical, but there was something about presentations that always made her second guess herself. “I think it went well.” She continued hesitantly. “The whole conference got delayed as usual so that threw things off a bit but I think my speech went alright. I-”

Neil snatched the phone away from her and pressed it against his own ear.

“Andrews, hi,” he began. “It’s Neil.”

“Neil!” Audrey hissed.

He waved off her concern.

“The conference went well. Audreys speech was fantastic and it was followed by a pretty comprehensive Q and A session. It was definitely one of the more favoured presentations tonight. She even had a lot of big time representatives come up to her afterwards for further questioning.” Neil went into more detail about Audrey’s speech before diving into details about his own presentation. “My presentation was good too. There were some minor technical difficulties in the beginning but we got it all figured out. I also passed on your information to some pretty big donors. You should be hearing from them within the next couple of weeks.” Andrews responded with appreciation. Once certain he was pleased with his response, Neil wished him a good evening and hung up the phone.

When he handed the device back to Audrey, she was glaring at him.

“What?” He said sheepishly.

“You practically just outed us to Andrews!”

“It’s fine,” he reassured.

“It’s ten o’clock at night and I just finished telling him I was in my hotel room. How is that not obvious?”

He chuckled. “My dear,” he said patiently. “Andrews already knows about us.”

“No he doesn’t.” She argued. “How could he possibly know?”

Neil shrugged. “I’m not sure how he figured it out, but I promise you he does know.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Think about it,” Neil said. “Only one car was sent to pick us up. He knew you’d be at my place.” Her eyebrows knit together, unconvinced. “Plus, there was only one hotel room reserved for us.”

Audrey’s face paled.

Neil watched her carefully as she absorbed the new information. She sat expressionless for a long moment before she pushed aside the documents splayed across her lap and made way for the balcony leaving a concerned Neil laying in bed watching after her.

.

“Hey,” Neil said cautiously, peeking his head through the sliding glass door many minutes later. “Are you okay?”

She turned to him, holding eye contact for a long second, then sighed. “Yeah.”

Taking this as an invitation, he moved to stand beside her wrapping one arm around her waist.

“Are you mad?”

“No, just a little upset.“

“Upset, I can deal with that.” He gave her a comforting smile and she reciprocated, leaning into him.

“I guess I just feel a little guilty. I wanted him to hear it from us.” She paused for a long moment, looking out at the city below. “We should have told him when you brought it up. I’m sorry.”

“You weren’t ready then,” Neil said softly.

“No, but look at where we are now. How did he even find out?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe it has something to do with your wandering eyes whenever you're around me,” he teased.

“Or your wandering hands,” she countered.

He laughed.

“We good?” Neil asked.

“Yes. But I think we should set up a meeting with Andrews when we get back to San Jose. Make this official.”

“I like that idea.”

Neil tugged her closer to him and Audrey leaned her head against his shoulder enjoying the intimacy of their little moment. They stayed like that for a while, not worrying about future conversations or what the consequences may be. They knew things were likely going to change. It was inevitable, but they had made it this far already and they knew what they had was worth fighting for. 

“Want to go find some much overprice and incredibly sweet doughnuts?” Neil asked. 

“Definitely.”


	20. Odds

“Neil?” Audrey called into the darkness.

It was late. Audrey had gone to bed many hours ago with Neil laying wrapped in the sheets beside her, but when she had woken up and reached out for him, she found his side of the bed empty. 

Tilting her head to look at the clock displaying the time, she read 1:11am. Sighing, Audrey reluctantly sat up, listening for any movement throughout the house and when she didn’t hear anything, she began to get worried. Neil had gone to bed tense. Something was bothering him. She could tell by the way his mind seemed to be elsewhere throughout the evening. She had asked him about it as they were getting ready for bed. He only smiled, leaned in to kiss her cheek and told her it was nothing to worry about. Though she doubted him, Audrey didn’t push the subject, confident he would open up to her when he was ready. 

Pulling on her cardigan over top of her pyjamas, she shuffled through the house still only half awake in search for him. She found him sitting on the couch in their living room, the lamp on the side table illuminating the room to a soft glow. Papers were spread out on the coffee table in front of him, a half-drunk cup of coffee sitting on a coaster in the corner. He looked just as troubled as he did before bed with his eyes scrunched in concentration and his bottom lip between his teeth as he tapped his pen anxiously on the table. 

Audrey walked further into the room and switched on the main light to announce her presence but not startle him from his train of thought. She rubbed her eyes as they grew accustomed to the sudden brightness. “Neil, what are you doing out here?”

He looked up at her briefly before turning his attention back to the paper in his hand. “Did I wake you?”

“No, I woke up and you weren’t there and I got worried. What’s going on?”

Neil sighed, putting his pen down and leaning into the back of the couch. He looked exhausted. “It’s this surgery I have scheduled for tomorrow.”

She knew the one he was talking about. Wrapping the cardigan around her midsection she took a seat beside him. “What about it?”

“There’s so much that could go wrong. One little mistake and-” he trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. He met her eyes and she could see the trepidation written in his eyes - something so foreign when it came to him. “I’m second guessing that this is the right course of action.”

Audrey understood. The treatment plan had been in talk for a couple of weeks and there was a lot of debate amongst them all on whether or not it was the right choice. “You’re right, this is a risky surgery,” she started. “But there is no one more skilled at performing it than you.” He smiled half-heartedly. She continued. “Let’s think about this logically. Say you decided not to do the surgery tomorrow and take some time to come up with a different course of action. You’re still going to be facing similar risks. And the longer you wait, the worse the odds will become. We both know this is the best decision and the odds of survival are greatest when you are in that operating room.”

“Thank you, I needed to hear that.”

“You’re welcome.”

“But you’re wrong about one thing.”

Audrey raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Oh yeah, what’s that?”

“The odds are greatest when we’re in the operating room together.” She visibly softened. “Do you want to scrub in and assist?” 

“I’ll have to rearrange a few things, but yeah, I could make that work.”

“Good.”

“Good,” she echoed.

They shared a smile and Neil leaned in to kiss her, Audrey meeting him half way. 

“Now,” Audrey stood from the couch and held out her hand. “Let’s go to bed.”

He agreed, taking her hand and letting her guide him back to the bedroom, only pausing to turn off the living room lights. The weight of his fears suddenly lifted.


	21. Dinner

"I'm home," Audrey called as she stepped through the front door to the home she and Neil shared. She was immediately welcomed by the pleasant smell of warm bread baking in the oven meaning Neil had gotten a head start on dinner. 

Unexpectedly, Neil appeared in the foyer. 

"Welcome home, my love," he greeted, leaning in to capture her lips in a quick kiss. 

Audrey's head tilted in amusement at his appearance. It wasn't necessarily the black apron caked in flour that caught her attention, nor was it the dish rag hung over his shoulder, but the glass of red wine he was holding in one hand, accompanied by a rather over exaggerated smile raised some questions.

He handed her the drink which she cautiously accepted then stepped behind her. "Let me help you with your coat," he said.

Careful not to spill the wine in the process, she allowed him to reach for the top of her jacket and tug it off. Once hung up in the closet where it belonged, with a hand on the small of her back, Neil led her into the kitchen.

He was being weird. Neil was often romantic. He planed nice evenings and showered her with affection for no reason other than to spend time alone together. But this was different. This seemed rushed and desperate, as if he were trying to make up for something that hadn't even happened yet. It was that curiosity of what was to come - and the hopes that whatever it was would be enough to use as blackmail in the future - that prevented her from outright asking the question she wanted to ask.

The kitchen table was set up elegantly, which was an unusual surprise. In the middle of their two plate settings sat a casserole dish, a bottle of wine, and two long taper candles, lit, and illuminating the room to a romantic glow. 

Pulling out a chair for her at the table, Neil gestured for her to take a seat. She did willingly. 

"You made my favourite meal?" Audrey didn't mean for her words to come out so accusingly, but as hard as she tried, she couldn't help it.

"I even stopped at that Italian meat market on the opposite side of town to get your favourite sausages,” Neil informed making his way in to the kitchen to remove the bread from the oven and place it next to her on the table. 

"I'm impressed," she praised. 

He scooped a portion of the homemade dish onto both their plates and topped up her wine before encouraging her to dig in. 

Under his watchful eye, she took a bite out of the food. It was good, she'd give him that. He was a fantastic cook and had plenty of years of experience when it came to cooking for loved ones. But the delicious food and romantic setup wasn’t enough to overpower the curiosity that was looming in the back of her mind.

"Okay, what did you do?" She finally asked. 

"What do you mean?" She could tell by the way his eyes avoided hers that her prediction was correct. In response, she gestured to the food on the table. "Can't I make my girlfriend her favourite meal and welcome her home with a glass of expensive wine?”

"You can, but there are obviously ulterior motives behind this dinner. So I'm going to ask you again, what did you do?"

"Okay, fine." He sighed. "But if I tell you, you have to promise not to get mad."

"I make no promises."

"Fine." Another sigh. "I accidentally invited Glassman and Debbie over for dinner on Saturday."

Audrey's fork dropped on her plate with a loud bang. "You what! Neil-"

"I'm sorry, it just happened. He caught me off guard and it just slipped out." Her eyes narrowed at him. "In my defence, I didn't actually think he'd say yes."

"Let me get this straight, you invited our boss into our home to sit at our dinner table and eat our food."

"It's not going to be so bad."

"Not so bad. Neil, he's our boss!"

"Oh come on, Glassman is more than just our boss; he's our friend." 

"I guess." Her voice trailed off.

"Hey," he reached to place his hand on top of hers resting on the table. "What's really bothering you about this?"

Audrey looked over at him and like usual, his concerned eyes did their typical number on her insides and her anger melted away. 

She could lie and stick to her story that Glassman was their boss and she felt uncomfortable with him in her home, but Neil knew her. He knew when she was making up a story and not completely telling the truth. He would see right through her and honestly, she did want to tell him the real reason. It had been something that had been on her mind for quite some time, she just never knew how to bring it up. 

Giving him a small smile, Audrey said, "it's just we've been together for almost a year now and I still don't know how to act around him when it comes to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean everything is different now. We've spent the last ten years arguing every chance we got, but that’s changed. We're different now and our relationship is different. It's all new territory and I don't know where the boundaries lay, at least not where Glassman is concerned.”

"You've never told me this before. Is that why you always sit on the furthest chair away from me whenever the three of us eat lunch together?" Her eyes shied away from his, answering his question. "He cares about us," Neil continued. “He's just happy we're happy. Plus he knows how much we care about each other. We don't exactly hide it as well as we think we do.”

“I know,” she sighed. 

“So dinner Saturday night?” Neil asked hopefully. 

"Fine," she caved. "But you're doing all the cooking." 

His face lit up. ”I wouldn't have it any other way.”


	22. Ellie

Audrey was walking down the hallway of the hospital towards her office still dressed in her navy surgical scrubs after a lengthy operation when she heard Neil's voice sound from somewhere down the hall. They hadn't seen each other since that morning when they had driven into work together, so she thought it would be nice to stop by and say a quick hello before her next appointment. Passing the elevators, she continued down the hall. She expected to find him engaged in conversation with a nurse, going over details of a patient's diagnosis, but what she found was Neil surrounded by a crowd of female nurses, all of them packed so tightly together, Audrey could only make out the top of Neil's head.

"Doesn't everyone here have work they should be doing?" Audrey asked. All heads turned towards her, but it was Neil's eyes she caught.

His face lit up at the sight of her. "Dr. Lim," he said as a way of greeting. "Come here I want you to meet someone." The nurses stepped aside to allow room for Audrey to approach. In his arms, He held a newborn baby wrapped securely in a yellow blanket. He was swaying slightly, providing the child with a simulation of its mothers womb as it slept peacefully in his embrace, unaware of the attention it had drawn. 

"Dr. Lim, meet Eleanore, Ellie for short. Ellie, meet Auntie Lim."

"Auntie?" 

"Ellie here is Monica and David's little girl."

Neil was referring to his friends from college who he met during his first year of undergrad. While Neil took a different career path from his two friends who had eventually gone on to find love with one another, they had kept in touch. Audrey had met the couple a handful of times over the course of her relationship with Neil. The most recent get together was unexpected, just a little over a month ago when David had called Neil during the middle of the night in a panic saying his wife was feeling pain in her abdomen and he wasn't certain what to do. Without a second thought, he told the couple to hang tight before making the thirty mile drive to their apartment with Audrey by his side. Audrey had more experience with fetal development and didn't even wait for Neil to ask her to come along with him before she was out of bed and ready to go. Fortunately for all, the pain was a result of something minor and the expecting parents were able to relax. 

Audrey liked them. They were good people and she was certain they would make excellent parents.

"She was born this morning," Neil continued, not taking his eyes off the newborn in his arms. "Weighing a healthy 7 pounds 6 ounces."

Audrey couldn't help her smile. Pressing herself against Neil's side, she got her first real look at the child. She was beautiful - a perfect mix of both her parents. Stroking her cheek softly, Audrey watched mesmerised as the girl opened her eyes to stare at her face, blinked twice, then yawned and closed her eyes once more. 

"I think she likes you," Neil commented. 

Audrey hummed in agreement and brushed the little brown strands of hair that were already present on the baby's crown.

"How's Monica doing?"

"Mom is doing great. A little tired but that's to be expected. I told them to take a moment to themselves so I could take baby Ellie here for a walk and introduce her to her future coworkers."

"You really think this little girl is going to follow your career path when she has a mother who's a scientist that blows things up for a living and a father who's a firefighter?"

"She is going to be so in love with her favourite uncle that she won't be able to resist following in his footsteps." Neil's voice increased an octave, speaking directly to the newborn. "Aren't you?"

The child scrunched its face in a look of disgust causing Audrey to laugh softly. This little girl and her were definitely going to get along well. "I think Ellie disagrees."

He simply shrugged. "I've got eighteen years to change her mind."

The nurses had now dispersed, going back to their daily routines, leaving the couple standing there in the middle of the nurses station, Audrey's arm wrapped around Neil's waist as she softly stroked the baby's cheek while Neil continued to rhythmically sway. Neil couldn't help himself from noticing how perfect their little moment was and if they weren't at work surrounded by onlookers who knew their first names, holding a child who wasn't theirs, he would have almost considered it romantic. Shifting his gaze from Ellie to Audrey, he watched the smile on her face widen as the little girl puckered her lips in her sleep, making soft suckling sounds.

He wanted this. All of this. With her.

"I want one," Neil said suddenly.

Audrey's thumb paused for a moment before continuing its soothing motion. "A baby?" He nodded. "Well we have one right here. Let's take this one." 

Neil chuckled before saying, "I'm serious, let's make one of these."

"I don't think this is a conversation we should be having right now." Audrey replied, tilting her head towards their coworkers leaning over the nurses station desk, not so subtly pretending to be engrossed in paperwork when really, they were listening in on their conversation. Neil followed her gesture and got the hint.

"A conversation for another day then?" He asked hopefully.

"Definitely."

The couple shared a warm smile before Ellie began to squirm in Neil's arms. "I better get her back to her parents, but I'll see you after work?"

"I'll be ready by four."

"I'll see you then." Neil then turned his attention back to Ellie. "Come one little one, let's get you back to mommy and daddy before they think I've taken you to the morgue and started giving you anatomy lessons." 

Audrey smiled, watching after Neil until he rounded the corner and was out of sight. Then, ignoring the knowing look of the nosy nurses, she made her own way down the hall.


End file.
